David Ningeongan, left, and Pujjuut Kusugak, of Rankin Inlet have been recruited to provide commentary for three National Hockey League games that will be broadcast on APTN and Sportsnet’s “Hockey Night in Canada in Inuktitut” program. (Photo courtesy of Pujjuut Kusugak)
The puck drops in Inuktitut for 3 NHL games this spring
Rankin Inlet’s David Ningeongan, Pujjuut Kusugak and Robert Kabvitok to provide commentary for APTN and Sportsnet
Get ready for Hockey Night in Canada in Inuktitut.
An expansion of APTN and Sportsnet’s Hockey Night in Cree, the network has hired a team of commentators in Rankin Inlet to give play-by-play coverage of three National Hockey League games in Inuktitut this hockey season.
Robert Kabvitok, who will be part of the team providing the colour commentary, said that when he got the call he thought of his late uncle with whom he worked at CBC. Kabvitok hosts the CBC Radio One program Tusaajaksat.
“My late uncle mentioned one time saying, ‘I wish I was on the play-by-play in Inuktitut too,’ and that’s who I thought of when I was asked,” he said.
“Maybe his dream is coming true.”
The Inuktitut commentary crew will also include David Ningeongan and Pujjuut Kusugak, who both provided Inuktitut language commentary at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games for women’s and men’s hockey.

Robert Kabvitok of Rankin Inlet is the latest addition to the “Hockey Night in Canada in Inuktitut” team. (Photo courtesy of Robert Kabvitok)
Kabvitok is a lifelong hockey fan and said he grew up playing with and against his fellow commentators Ningeongan and Kusugak.
While the first broadcast is a few months away, Kabvitok said there’s already excitement growing in his home community for the games in Inuktitut.
“I want to help our people up north to understand the game,” he said.
“I think it will help the elders, like my dad who loves watching hockey, but that’s only in English. So adding Inuktitut will be an enjoyment for him.”
Kabvitok said he was losing his language when he was in school. Becoming a CBC host helped him to get it back.
He recalled elders calling him with better ways to say words and phrases, and he hopes the broadcasts can inspire others to learn Inuktitut as well.
“Maybe this will help our youth that want to learn our language,” Kabvitok said.
“Maybe somebody out there will say, ‘If these guys can do it, then I should learn to speak Inuktitut.'”
Hockey Night in Canada in Cree and Hockey Night in Canada in Inuktitut features seven Canadian NHL teams in a six-game broadcast series, with the first three commentated in Cree and last three in Inuktitut.
The schedules for the Hockey Night in Canada in Inuktitut games are:
- March 8: Edmonton Oilers vs. Dallas Stars, 10 p.m. ET;
- March 22: Ottawa Senators vs. New Jersey Devils, 7 p.m. ET;
- April 12: Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. ET.
Nunavummiut can tune into the APTN channel and APTN languages channel to catch the games.
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